This invention pertains to a buckle of a type used to fasten a belt for a backpack, a baby carrier, scuba diving gear, or another heavy load. Such a buckle may have other uses as well.
Typically, such a buckle comprises a body member and a latch member, a belt of webbing or other material being attachable to its one end to the body member and being attachable to its other end to the latch member. The belt may be permanently attached to the body member, as by means of stitching through overlapped layers of the belt, but adjustably attached to the latch member.
In a typical buckle such as shown in British Registered Design No. 990749, dated July 17, 1979, the body member has a generally rectangular frame with a belt attaching portion, a distal portion, and opposite side portions. Each of the side portions is provided with a shoulder spaced from the belt-attaching portion.
Typically, in such a buckle, the latch member has a generally rectangular outline with opposite side edges and is adapted to be attached to the other end of the belt. The latch member is shaped and dimensioned so as to be capable of being passed at least partly through the frame, between the belt-attaching end and the shoulders.
When so passed through the frame, the latch member is pivotable in relation to the frame such that the latch member engages the distal portion of the body member for closing the buckle and is pivotable oppositely to open the buckle. Typically, such a buckle is not very secure against becoming opened accidentally, unless the belt is tensioned.
In such a buckle, it is known to provide for slight interference between the latch member and the body member, particularly between the latch member and the side portions of the body member, so as to retard pivoting of the latch member in relation to the body member, whereby there is some security against the buckle becoming opened accidentally. However, such security is not sufficient, particularly in circumstances wherein a person, in putting on a backpack, a baby carrier, scuba diving gear, or another heavy load, and in attempting to fasten such a buckle at his or her waist, has begun to close the buckle but has not yet closed the buckle fully or has not yet placed much if any tension on the belt. In such circumstances, the buckle can be accidentally opened, even if there is slight interference between the latch member and the body member.
There has been a need, to which this invention is addressed, for an improvement in a buckle of the type noted above, whereby more security can be obtained in such circumstances.